The Third Sphere Part 1: Keith's Redemption
by Tonnie Seawolf
Summary: This is my attempt to continue Dynamite's Voltron Comic Book Series Voltron: Ten Lions. Takes place during the last parts of Issue 12. I'm planning to make it two part thing with this half focusing on Keith's and Allura's struggle each other's secrets. Hope you guys will like it. Please review. I haven't written in a long time though so please be gentle. Thanks a bunch!
1. Chapter 1

**The Third Sphere Part I: Keith's Redemption**

Author's Notes: This is my first attempt to write a Voltron FanFic. I'm an avid fan of the KA pairing so anyone not a fan of the pairing, I'm sorry this is not for you.

This fic is an attempt to continue the Dynamite's comic version of Voltron. First scenes and dialogue were taken from the last couple of pages from the comic book's issue 12. Personalities and character description will also be loosely based on the Voltron Force TV series as well as some of their techs (e.g. Voltcoms and Lion upgrades). Back story of the Voltron Force were taken from Dynamite's comic Voltron: Year One.

Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron and its characters. I'm just a fan of the universe.

-oo-

 **Chapter 1**

"They got out okay?"

A voice from behind him spoke as he took a sideway glance at the man.

"Yeah…yeah," he answered. "They did…I feel like I should apologize to you now…"

"I told you I was in, Keith," the man remarked, his face still hidden in the shadows of their meeting place. "Did expect a little more warn – "

"Not about that," Keith replied. "Well, yeah, that. But, I didn't think it'd be this hard not to be up there with them. I…I didn't know how important it was 'til right this minute. If you ever felt like this…if I was ever the cause…I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's all right, Keith," he answered. He slowly left the shadows and revealed himself. The man called Counselor Vonn stood face to face at the commander of the Voltron Force; his shoulder length blond hair tucked neatly behind the folds of his jacket, his hands hidden within its pockets. He stared at Keith Kogane with a look that seems to be forgiving.

"Really it is," the counselor continued. "But you have to know that when they find out about this…they're never going to forgive you."

"Maybe not," Keith said. "But they'll be alive enough to make that call. I'll take that if I have to."

"Hmph…" he sighed. When he continued, his voice changed and the familiar Norwegian accent could be heard. "Suppose so. Been a busy couple of weeks on my end, cover seems to be holding up thus far. So what's the next move for us?"

"What else, Sven?" Keith smiled. "Defend."

Keith looked at his friend once over. There was no trace of the old Sven Holgersson in the man that was standing in front of him. Sven needed to make a total change of appearance for their plan to work. His black hair and black eyes were changed into blond and green eyes. His physique was a bit bulkier than his former lean athletic form. When he's in the presence of other people, he was known as Counselor Vonn Horner, the representative of the European islands on Earth, a Welsh native who had worked up the ranks of the Galaxy Alliance. The transformation was completed when he speaks in a Welsh accent, far from his native Norwegian tongue.

Faking his death was the first part. Keith needed Sven to disappear so that he could take the place of the real Counselor Vonn, who was tucked away in a safehouse that only Keith and Sven knew. It took some convincing to make the counselor agree to stay low for a while and let Sven take his place. But he agreed in the end, giving Sven free access to all the resources he would need to make his cover convincing.

The next weeks after his "death", Sven dove into training and practice, making sure that he got all the counselor's mannerisms perfectly. He studied all of the counselor's movements and actions down to the last hair flick and chin rub. By this time, even the real Counselor Vonn couldn't see any difference between himself and Sven.

"How about you, commander?" Sven asked as he and Keith walked on the pathway towards the Galaxy Alliance building. "How have you been holding up?"

"Been a bit quiet on my end," Keith answered, not looking at his friend. "No one has attacked me since the last time that they've sent some agents to do so. Sigis though still wants us on alert. He fears that they're next move would be big. And we have to stop it."

"I'm not talking about that," he said. "I mean, how are you? You've got the weight of the whole galaxy on your shoulders and all you have as a confidant is an Arusian ghost."

Keith stopped at his tracks and sighed. He closed his eyes and thought for a moment, trying to get his thoughts in order before replying, "Hunk wants out. He just handed me his resignation letter. After this mission, I wouldn't be able to stop him from leaving the Force."

They continued to walk down the path as Keith continued, "I don't know whether to feel relieved or be angry. I mean, the guy deserves to be happy but at the same time, I feel like he's abandoning us. But still, I'm a bit conflicted in all of this. I even went as far as trying to convince Katrina to change Justine's mind."

Sven reached out and held Keith by the shoulder, "the things we did. The things we do for the Alliance gets to everyone. A big guy with a very soft heart like Hunk would feel the burden more than you and I combined. You were built for this. You can do this forever. Some of us can't."

"You sound like Hunk," Keith answered; his blue eyes boring through his friend. "He actually said that in his letter. But you guys got me all wrong. I also want an out. I don't want to do this forever. I just don't know how. It's been ingrained in me for so long that I don't see anything else but I do want out. And after what we'll be doing, if ever I did find an exit, no one's going to be there to greet me on the other side."

"Not even Allura?"

"Especially her," Keith said, his voice cracking. "How could she ever forgive me after this? I asked her to trust me but…"

"You'll find a way, Keith," Sven replied. "Even if the rest of the guys won't forgive you, you'll find a way to make her forgive you. But right now, we need to focus on how to find the Third Sphere before they destroy us all."

"Yeah, you're right," he answered. "Aside from that, we also need to figure out how Lotor fits into all of this."

"Or if he is even in the equation," Sven added.

"He's in the equation, Sven," Keith remarked, determination back in his voice. "But which part in the equation is he in? I'm sure Zarkon has told Lotor everything he needs to know before his father's untimely demise. But just how far ahead or behind is he from what we know?"

"What else did Sigis tell you about the Third Sphere?"

"Just enough to get us this far and tell us that we're going on the right direction. He can't give us anymore details even if he wanted to."

Their conversation continued as they walked, making plans and setting everything once they have located the Third Sphere. When they reached the GA Building and stood side by side looking at the structure before them, Sven's demeanor changed back into the diplomat Counselor Vonn.

"Well Counselor," Keith said reaching out to offer his hand for a shake which Sven took. "It's really good of you to take time off and bid the Voltron Force safe journey."

"The pleasure was mine, Commander," he answered taking Keith's hand; the Welsh accent was back as well. "I best return to my quarters. I'll call upon you when everything is set."

"I'll wait for that, Counselor."

Both men went on their separate ways. Alone once more, Keith took a leisurely way to his quarters. Alec Sigis took this time to emerge from Keith's consciousness.

"I'm really tired right now, Sigis," Keith said. "I really don't feel like training tonight."

"I understand, commander," Sigis answered. "Being away from Voltron, even for just a while can really put a strain on you. I shall leave you alone to your thoughts."

'Alone to his thoughts.' Keith really wondered how alone he was now that Sigis' consciousness is with him. He also wondered now how much of his thoughts were still his and how much of it was Sigis'. It was a good thing Sven accepted this mission with him. He needed someone to make sure that it was still him, Keith Kogane, and not some semblance of him Sigis wanted. Sven knows him enough to know the difference and make quick decisions. If Sven was right about Arus knowing about the Third Sphere and they have been lying from the very beginning, it would be best for him to take a back step and let Sven lead, just like the old days when he was only third in command.

'I wonder how Lance and the guys are holding up without me?' Keith thought to himself. 'I wonder how _she_ is without me…'

His thoughts drifted to the blond hair, green-eyed princess he loved most in the world. Protecting her, keeping her safe, away from all the danger that the Third Sphere is going to bring them was his motivation to keep her away from this. But would she really not forgive him after all this is said and done? Could he survive it without her if that would really happen?

Keith hoped that Allura trusted him enough for them to pull through this.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Third Sphere Part I: Keith's Redemption**

Author's Note: Some of the scenes were taken from Issue 12 of the Dynamite comic book version of Voltron.

Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron or any of the characters. I'm just an avid fan of the universe.

-oo-

 **Chapter 2**

"Princess, have you finished setting our coordinates?"

Princess Allura didn't reply. She was staring blankly into space, her hands still on the console with fingers suspended above the keys. Her mind had drifted back on that moment before they left Earth. The last moment she had with Keith before they took off for this mission…

 _She was still upset with him. They were not able to resolve whatever was going on between them. So when he was there at the landing bay, giving out last instructions and saying his farewell to the rest of the team, Allura held back, pretending he was not there._

 _When the rest of the team began to ascend the platform towards Voltron, Keith held her arm, stopping her from moving forward. His last words to her felt like a knife carving through her heart._

" _Always remember that I love you with every fiber of my being. Whatever I do next will be because I love you and I wanted to protect you."_

 _It sounded so much like a goodbye that Allura couldn't help the single tear that slid down her cheek. She looked at Keith as green met blue when their eyes met one last time and gave him a kiss. It was just suppose to be a quick kiss goodbye but Keith deepened the kiss. He kissed her back with so much passion, that the goodbye felt so real. They held each other and brought their feelings out through that kiss. Her anger of him completely gone replaced by fear on what he was about to do that would need him to be away from her. She let him feel her fear for him with their kiss, along with how much she really loved him. She clung to him not wanting to let go. Her kiss became a way of beseeching him to change his mind and join them in their mission. Keith answered with his own. His kiss was that of apology and a goodbye._

 _Keith slowly withdrew from their kiss, albeit reluctantly, Allura held his hand giving it a squeeze. It was her last chance to change his mind but still Keith was adamant with his decision to stay. They locked eyes once more and Allura saw regret for not coming with them in this mission. But there was something else there that she couldn't understand, something that wasn't her "Keith"._

" _Be safe, Keith," she said. "I mean it."_

" _You too, 'Lura," he answered. "You too."_

"Allura!"

Allura came out of her reverie, startled by the urgent voice that called her name.

"I'm sorry, commander," Allura replied and hurriedly typed their coordinates on the console.

"Are you okay, Princess?" Pidge asked concerned.

"I'm alright, Pidge," she answered. "I just drifted. That's all."

When she finally finished setting their coordinates, she looked up to see the rest of the team looking at her with concern. With the lions formed as Voltron, their cockpits were combined into one command station. All four of them were seated on consoles giving access to certain areas of the mighty robot. All seats were taken except the commander's chair. Even with Lance having assumed leadership, he was reluctant to take the chair that's reserved for Keith.

"Princess," Lance said. "From all the years that I have known you, you have never 'drifted'. Look, Voltron is on auto-pilot now. So let's have it. What's going on?"

"Is that a request from a concerned friend?" Allura asked, teasing. "Or an order from our new commander?"

"A little of both," Lance answered seriously. "I mean, I need you to be in the game. So whatever's bothering you, you have to let it out. Otherwise, you might become a liability to the team. On the other end, we are your friends. And we know that you and Keith are in the rough at the moment. If we can help you out in any way we can, you know you can count on us for that too."

"Yeah, Princess," Hunk added. "You know that we're here for you…Even if Keith is a bit secretive lately. We're here for the both of you."

Allura looked from one teammate to another. They were all looking back at her hoping that they would be able to provide some help or comfort. She really wanted to tell them what's going on. She wanted to tell them everything about the new Voltrons that were created on Earth. She wanted to tell them what she knows about the Voltron that attacked Arus and Doom. She wanted to tell them everything, like her plan to tell Keith everything. But a magical force was preventing her from saying anything. Every time she tried, there was only jibberish that came from her mouth.

For the past few months since Voltron was returned to them and the revelation that she could not reveal anything, Allura delved into research and meditation, looking for a way to break the magical block. But whatever she did to try to communicate what she knew, she just couldn't.

It frustrated her that she couldn't tell Keith. Her frustration over this far exceeds the frustration and anger that she had over whatever it was Keith was keeping from her. It made her realize though that whatever secret Keith was hiding from her and the rest of the team, it must be eating him up inside as well.

And now here she was, being stared upon by three different sets of eyes waiting for her to say something. But what can she say that can relay what's really happening without the magic blocking her? She sighed defeated and just said the other thing that was on her mind.

"Well," she said. "I am a bit worried about Keith. On the platform before we left, he said something that felt like a goodbye."

"The Commander has been on edge lately," Lance stated, sharing his observation. "I mean, I know Lotor isn't good news but it's not like Keith to bite off his head, even if Lotor deserves it."

"He's been very secretive about a lot of things," Pidge added.

Allura recalled Keith's last words to her and she said, "he said, all he wanted to do was to protect me."

"Well that's not news to any of us," Lance remarked with a smirk. "Ever since that day we came to Arus, all he ever did was protect you."

"Keith would go to any length just to know that you're safe, Princess," Hunk added. "Even if it means giving you up."

' _Even if it means giving you up.'_ That was not a thought that Allura can accept. She shook her head and replied, "but we could always talk things through. We never hide anything from each other. He never hid anything from you guys either."

"Not really the case, Princess," Pidge remarked. "He did hide stuff from us. He hid incriminating information that usually protected us from inquiry. He usually lets himself be the fall guy, clearing us of any wrong doing. That's the kind of guy he is. That's the kind of commander he is. He never lets his team get into trouble. He'll protect us anyway he can."

"Always protecting us," Lance finished, mostly to himself than to the rest of the team. "Damn that bastard! He's at it again!"

"What?"

He stood up and began to pace. Lance has bulked up over the years. He was a bit more muscular as Keith was leaner. Lance continued to pace, like restless lion in his den. The others followed his movements as he began to walk back and forth around the cockpit.

"That's why he opted to stay and train the new pilots," Lance exclaimed. "He's protecting us from something. He must have found a plot of some sort and is in way over his head with his investigation."

"You mean he's in trouble?" Allura asked.

"Yup," Lance answered. "He's in deep shit. And whatever it was he discovered, it's coming for him and it won't stop until he's dead. He's doing his 'noble leader' thing again by sending us away from the firefight because he doesn't think he'll be coming out of it."

"You don't mean that, Lance," Allura said. She stood up from her seat and approached Lance, she continued, "you sound like Keith doesn't trust us."

"It's not an issue of trust, Princess," he answered. "He knows he can trust us with this but he's the kind of guy who would carry the whole world on his shoulders as well as the whole galaxy on his back without asking for assistance."

"Like Lance said," Pidge added. "'Noble leader' syndrome. Keith always has our backs during missions; he forgets that we have his back as well."

"An endearing yet annoying quality of Keith that you should be use to by now," Lance finished with flair. "I am going to wring his neck when I see him."

"We need to draw straws on who's going to be first," Hunk remarked with a smile.

The three men started laughing, remembering the good ol' days when they were known as SE Squadron 686. Keith was always the person who would protect them, whether it was from their superiors or from their then former commander, Sven.

Allura looked at the men laughing at an inside joke that they had shared before she became part of the team. She could see that they were really close, bonded together from their missions together. They were like brothers. She also saw from their stance how they really admired Keith, that despite him keeping secrets from them they still respected him.

"It has to have something to do with Lotor," Hunk said after they have sobered up from laughing. They were back to serious business as he continued, "like Lance said, he wants to bite off the guy's head if he can manage it. It must have something to do with the new Voltrons, the one that attacked us and the new ones that will be coming out."

"Well whatever it is," Lance said. He reached out and grabbed her shoulder for reassurance. He could see from the princess's state that she was still worried. He continued, "we'll have his back, even if he doesn't want it. We'll finish with this mission and head back as fast as we can."

Pidge yelled an affirmative a little too eagerly. Allura smiled and just nodded. She knew that she won't be able to hold her emotions in check if she were to say anything. Hunk though was silent. He was leaning forward, his elbows resting on his thick thighs with his massive hands covering his face.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Hunk muttered. He knew that all eyes were on him now waiting for his affirmative. This was supposed to be his last mission. After this, he said he was out. He will no longer be part of the Voltron Force. But would his conscience really take it if Keith really needed their help and was just too stubborn to ask for it?

He sighed out loud and stood up. He walked towards Allura and Lance and said, "well our fearless leader needs our help. Let's finish this mission and head back ASAP!"

"Let's start prepping our weapons and review the brief," Lance ordered, as he patted Hunk's back and gave Allura's shoulder another reassuring squeeze. Everyone's demeanor was back to business.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Third Sphere Part I: Keith's Redemptio** n

Author's Notes: I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have written reviews on this fanfic. It really warms the heart to read them all. Thanks FroofyB and cubbieBlueMako for adding this fic to your favorites list and following. Thanks for Julie Horwitz, KittyLyne, WadeWells and sunshineleo for following this fic.

Reminders: Personalities and character description will also be loosely based on the Voltron Force TV series (Keith's and Allura's eye color, Lance's physique, etc.) as well as some of their techs (e.g. Voltcoms and Lion upgrades). Back story of the Voltron Force were taken from Dynamite's comic Voltron: Year One.

Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron and its characters. I'm just a fan of the universe.

-oo-

 **Chapter 3**

 _She was straddled to him as he leaned his back on the headboard. They were completely naked as their kiss continued. Their kiss deepened, tongues dancing as they explored each other. Their hands travelled, discovering new spots and rediscovering the old ones. They changed positions, lying her down as they continued to explore. Blankets and pillows were in a tangled mess around them as they try to satiate their need for each other. He trailed kisses down her neck to her shoulder, down her breast. She moaned with pleasure as she held his head to deepen his kiss on her breast. His hands continued to explore downward and he smiled inwardly as he heard her gasp when he found a new spot._

" _Oh, Keith!"_

"Keith, wake up!"

Keith woke up with a start. He sat on his bed, a bit disoriented. He tried to get his bearings. He was back in his room, the lights still off and everything in the room was as it should be…all except for the lone figure at the foot of the bed.

"Sven?"

"Good morning to you too, commander!" he greeted Keith with a hint of sarcasm in his voice and in his Norwegian accent. He was wearing his space explorer uniform beneath the overcoat that was usually used by the real Counselor Vonn.

"How did you get in here?" Keith asked as he got off the bed wearing only boxer shorts and began his morning ritual.

"Apparently, I am still an active Space Explorer Commander," Sven answered as he took a seat in the living room area of Keith's quarters. He watched as Keith did his stretches and exercise. "I still have override access to the officer's quarters."

Keith just shook his head and smiled as he moved around his quarters to prepare for the morning ahead.

Sven looked around as Keith continued his morning regimen. He noted that even after all these years Keith remained to live in a simplistic lifestyle. An image of the whole Voltron Force with him and Romelle was framed and displayed on a bookshelf caught his eye. It was a photo taken during their wedding. Tears started to form in his eyes but he held it in. As he continued to scan his surroundings, he noted that most of the decorations and personal touches were done by Allura. Sven knew that if Keith had his way it would just be a sleeping area devoid of any personal articles. Allura had a knack of getting Keith to loosen up.

Keith looked at his friend and it still unnerved him sometimes that Sven looked different. The complete change have to be very convincing to everyone so no one would suspect, but whenever Sven talked in his usual accent, Keith have to double back to remember that it was his friend Sven talking to him and not the counselor. He just hope that they can finish this mission so that Sven can have his real life back…well, whatever kind of life he has for himself back in Pollux.

It had been five days since last they met when their friends left the planet. Keith delved into training the new pilots for the two new Voltrons that were commissioned by the Galaxy Alliance, and training with Sigis to develop his magic. Meanwhile Sven – as Counselor Vonn – has been busy with the counselor's duty as well as searching for the location of the Third Sphere. With the resources of his office at their disposal, Sven was making headway on their search.

"Did anyone see you when you came in?" Keith asked thirty minutes later as he poured coffee for himself and another mug for his friend. Now freshly showered and wearing his Voltron uniform, Keith handed the mug to Sven as he sat on the couch across him.

"I was discreet, Keith," Sven answered as he sip his coffee. "All the protocols were in place when I went up here."

Keith closed his eyes as if he was in pain but quickly tried to hide it taking a sip off his coffee. Sven easily spotted it though and said, "What's wrong?"

"Sigis," was all he could answer between gritted teeth.

"What does he want?"

"He has issues with my dreams."

"Allura?"

"Yup."

Another look of pain went across Keith's face and this time bolts of energy surged through Keith's body. Dropping the mug, it crashed to the floor spilling coffee on the rug. Sven stood and immediately took a defensive stance. Keith stayed seated but a struggle began within him as Sigis took this time to launch a "training regimen". On the outside, Keith remained on his seat, energy surged all around him. A few grunts could be heard from him like he was being physically attacked.

In the confines of Keith's mind where the ancient Arusian, Alexander Sigis, currently resides, they were battling it out. Sigis was once a consciousness residing in Voltron. Decades ago, he was sent from Arus to help the human race with the threat of planet Doom. Upon his death, instead of moving forward to the next world, he stayed with Voltron. The threat of the Third Sphere still decades away from his time, his consciousness stayed dormant until King Zarkon awakened him once more. He was able to leave Voltron and now resided with its commander, Keith, recruiting his help to stop the Third Sphere from happening.

"I told you to focus!" Sigis shouted as he threw an energy ball at Keith. Keith deflected by raising a shield in front of him.

"I am!" Keith answered as he willed the shield to grow outward. The shield changed into an energy field sizzling with live electricity. "Just because I was dreaming of Allura, it doesn't mean that I am not focusing. Make no mistake, Sigis. I am doing this for her. She's the reason why I agreed to this, why I let you in."

The energy field was released and Sigis was thrown off. He hit the ground with a grunt but spun and found himself on his feet again. Sigis threw another energy bolt at Keith which Keith deflected with another shield.

"Don't be stupid, boy!" Sigis said. "Do you really think that the Royal House of Arus does not know anything? Do you really think that our young monarch does not have any idea about the Third Sphere?"

Keith was about to throw an energy bolt at Sigis but hesitated. He could not believe what he had just heard. _Allura knew about all this? Was Sven right that Arus lies?_

Keith's hesitation gave Sigis the opening he was looking for. He created another energy bolt, but this time much bigger and stronger than his previous ones. He threw it at Keith and it made contact right in the center of Keith's chest. Keith was thrown off and hit the ground hard. As he struggled to get up, Sigis advanced. With his magic, he bound Keith with a magical force. Keith struggled to break free but it was too strong for him.

"I do admire you very much, Earthling," Sigis said as he stood over Keith. "Not even Zarkon had that kind of control over magic, and he had trained with me for decades. You have a special talent that I only find among my fellow Arusians. You are such an extraordinary being. I can see now why Princess Allura admires you."

"You've made your point, Sigis," Keith grunted as he continued to struggle with his bonds. "I'm out of focus. I get it."

"I don't think that you do, commander," Sigis remarked. With a little twist of his wrist the bonds on Keith tightened. "For months that we've been training, trying to locate the Third Sphere you have been distracted. Your sense of loyalty to your friends has affected your ability to focus on what's more important. Your infatuation for our young monarch has clouded your judgment."

Sigis levitated and stretched out his arms. Vines of magic coursed through his outstretched arms with each vine attaching to invisible walls.

"The Third Sphere and everything it contains is dangerous to the galaxy," Sigis continued as the vines of magic crept around the invisible wall that surrounded both him and Keith. "If Lotor reaches the Sphere before we do, this dimension will cease to exist. It is important that we find the Sphere first before he does. The Third Sphere needs to be stopped at all cost."

"What are you doing, Sigis?" Keith asked as he struggled to get free from the magical bond but he couldn't. The magic that binds him was too strong for him to counter. The vines of magic creeping through the invisible wall were starting to connect.

"Clearly," Sigis replied. "You lack the focus and discipline to do this important task. You have not grasped the enormity of the situation. Your feelings always get in the way on what's more vital. I can no longer count on you to complete this mission. It's time I took matters into my own hands."

Finally, all the vines have connected. Keith suddenly felt disconnected from his body and he knew that he was going to black out. Sigis has taken full control. The vines of magic solidified creating a sphere around them both.

"Allura forgive me," Keith sighed as darkness enveloped him.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Third Sphere Part I: Keith's Redemption**

Author's Notes: Personalities and character description will also be loosely based on the Voltron Force TV series (Keith's and Allura's eye color, Lance's physique, etc.) as well as some of their techs (e.g. Voltcoms and Lion upgrades). Back story of the Voltron Force were taken from Dynamite's comic Voltron: Year One.

Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron and its characters. I'm just a fan of the universe. Planet Ryal on the other hand is a name of a planet I came up with…unless it's a real planet somewhere in the outer fringes of the universe and some alien told it to me in my sleep.

-oo-

 **Chapter 4**

"Keith?"

"Focus, Princess," Lance called over the comm channel.

They were at the tail end of their mission. The extraction of the royal family from the planet Ryal was well underway with only the King left to be brought to safety as riots continued at the capital. The mob has already breached the walls of the castle when the King was already being escorted out from their escape route. Lance and Hunk were on ground cover while Allura was their sniper. Pidge was back with Voltron, guarding the rest of the royal family in their shuttle while he fed the rest of the team with information.

"You guys better hurry up," Pidge said over the comm. "The mob is about ten minutes behind you."

"Sorry to rush you, Your Majesty," Hunk said as he ushered the King to move faster. "But we really need to quicken up the pace."

"My apologies," the king answered with a huff. "But this is the fastest I can go. I'm not really as young as I used to be."

"Princess," Lance said over the comm. "Keep our exit open. But set your rifle to stun. We really don't need to increase the casualties."

"Roger that."

As the extraction continued, Allura could not help the nagging feeling that something was wrong. She tried to keep focus on the mission, shooting some stray rioters if ever they came very close to the King and her team mates. But it was really hard to concentrate when you couldn't help but feel something was wrong elsewhere. Twice she almost missed her target as her mind kept drifting back to that strange feeling that Keith was in trouble.

Finally, the King was safely inside the shuttle with the rest of the royal family of Ryal. Allura was then instructed by Lance to head back to Voltron. Once everyone was back and took their proper stations, they followed the shuttle out of orbit. Once clear, Allura quickly locked in their coordinates and finally settled in her seat but the nagging feeling still remained. Everyone else began to relax as they started towards home.

"Um…guys?" Pidge said as he continued to tap onto his keyboard. His voice was somewhat apprehensive. "I have an encrypted message here that you need to see."

"It might just probably be from Garrison," Lance said dismissively. His eyes were closed and his arms above him resting on the backrest of his seat.

"It's an encryption code that can only be decrypted by one of us," he replied.

"So?" Lance retorted. "Keith must have finally swallowed his pride and wanted our help."

"It's not Keith," Pidge answered. "It's from Sven."

At the mention of their former team mate, everyone stood and went to Pidge's area. Pidge had just finished decrypting the message when they gathered behind him.

"Sven's dead, Pidge," Hunk said a matter of factly. "It must just be a message before he died."

"Nope," he answered. "The message was made roughly thirty minutes ago. It's only a text message but it's recent."

"Then obviously someone's been playing a trick on us," Allura suggested.

"Again, that's a negative," Pidge replied. "Before we became the Voltron Force, we had an established decryption between us five guys. It's a way to eliminate false messages within the team. The five of us had established protocols for different type of scenarios. Each of us has a specific code that everyone can decrypt as a signature of sorts. So we know who's sending the message and that the message is legit. And since there are only five of us who knows each other's code, this is definitely Sven."

A couple of taps in the keyboard and the message was shown on his screen:

VOLTRON FORCE, I APOLOGIZE FOR THE DECEPTION. BUT THIS IS URGENT. KEITH IS IN TROUBLE. HE WAS IN COMMUNICATION WITH A CONSCIOUSNESS WHO CALLS HIMSELF ALEXANDER SIGIS WHO NEEDED HIS HELP IN LOCATING SOMETHING THAT HE CALLS THE "THIRD SPHERE". BUT SOMETHING IS WRONG. KEITH IS CURRENTLY UNCONSCIOUS. I BELIEVE HE'S BATTLING FOR CONTROL AGAINST SIGIS. I NEED SOME ASSISTANCE FOR I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONTAIN HIM IF SIGIS WON THIS BATTLE. HURRY, KEITH NEEDS OUR HELP.

At the mention of the Third Sphere, Allura gasped. Her head was reeling. 'Keith knew about the Third Sphere,' she thought. 'Was this the secret that he was keeping from me and the rest of the team? And how did Sigis got into his consciousness? Keith is human. He would not be able to contain two consciousnesses in one body without destroying himself in the process.'

"The Third Sphere," Allura whispered, shocked that she was able to say it without the magical block hindering her.

"What's the Third Sphere?" Hunk asked looking at the screen and then at the princess.

Allura struggled for control. She was able to say it just a moment ago. She needed to keep her focus so that she would be able to counter the magic that was stopping her from revealing anything. 'Keith! Keith's in trouble! We have to help him. I have to help him! I can't stand by and watch as they take the man I love away from me.'

As she struggled, sparks flew and energy was revolving around her, surrounding her with light. She could feel the magic binding her to stay silent but she fought it.

"Princess!" she heard Lance called out.

'I have to fight this! I have to!' Allura thought as the magic around her continued to bind her but she fought back. A scream escaped her lips as pain shot through her body. She felt like she was being burned alive. She could see from her half-closed eyes the smoke emitting from her body. The struggle continued as another wave of pain coursed through her body. She crumpled to the floor and shuddered uncontrollably.

She could see between her lids that her teammates stood around her, unable to help her with what she's going through. They stood there hoping and praying that she would be able to pull through this.

Another wave of pain sent Allura screaming again. Tears streamed down her eyes as she continued to fight. But the pain was still too much that she struggled to breathe.

'I will break this block. I will break it and save Keith,' was the only thought that came into her head as wave after wave of pain coursed through her body.

Thoughts of Keith swirled in her mind. She focused on that. She focused on him. Allura willed her memories of Keith at the forefront of her mind creating a mental barrier from the pain. She saw Keith everywhere. She tried to remember his touch, his kiss and his embrace. She filled her mind with images of him. Images of when they first saw each other, when he was teaching her how to fight, when he brought her flowers, when he was on duty at the control room, when they escape to a secluded place just to be alone away from the scrutiny of nanny. She kept her mind focused on Keith, his silent strength, his focused demeanor, his love. She cannot lose him. She just can't!

Suddenly, she felt a shift in the force that's surrounded her. The pain slowly subsided and she fought for control. She mentally pushed away the pain and created a vortex in her mind as she collected the pain threw it into the vortex. She felt an implosion within her and she could breathe again.

"Are you alright, Princess?" Hunk hunched over her, his massive arm tentatively reaching out to her shoulder as he helped her to a sitting position.

"The Third Sphere," she said tentatively, testing if the block was still there. It came out freely now. There was no hesitation when she spoke it. She finally broke the spell.

"We need to hurry back," Allura stated, the shrill of her voice matched the desperation in her emerald eyes as she looked from one team mate of another. "I don't know how Keith managed to host Alexander Sigis for this long but humans are not capable of containing two consciousnesses in one body."

"Hold on, Princess," Lance said as he held up his hand. "What's going on? Do you know what this third sphere is? And just how much trouble is Keith really in?"

"The Third Sphere is a civilization in a different dimension," Allura explained as Hunk helped her to her seat. "It is one of the five civilizations that helped create Voltron."

"One of five?" Pidge asked. His interest peaked. "I thought Arus and Earth made Voltron?"

Allura shook her head and continued, "Voltron was created by five civilizations on five different dimensions. Each dimension contributed to Voltron's creation, each provided an element that can only be harnessed there. The Third Sphere is one of those civilizations. We harness Voltron's true power source from them. We harness Voltron's magic from Arus. The technology and raw materials came from three others."

"And where is Earth in all of this?" Hunk inquired.

"Earth was just a factory of sorts for assembling the Voltron of this dimension," she answered. "It was also the test area where we can do a trial run on Voltron being that this Voltron is the first that was created from the five."

"Five?!" Lance exclaimed. "You mean to tell me that there are four other Voltrons out there? Like the one that attacked us on the moon?"

Allura nodded as she explained, "the five dimensions agreed that there should only be one Voltron on each dimension. One Defender of the Universe to be called upon when needed. This dimension was the first to create Voltron as the threat of planet Doom was imminent. When Voltron was successfully created here, four more were made for each of the other dimensions. Not an exact replica of the first but the components are the same but catered to the dimension that would need them. After the Voltrons were created, we have all decided to never create more. We have agreed that one Voltron is enough to defend the universe on each of the five dimensions who helped create them."

"But Zarkon," Allura continued. "He somehow was able to get another Voltron from one of the other dmensions. That was against everything the five civilizations have agreed upon. The Third Sphere has come to destroy us, as there should be no more than one Voltron in a dimension. We were given a chance to stop it on our own. We were supposed to have gotten more time."

"So what changed?"

"Earth created two more Voltrons."

Hunk cursed under his breath. Pidge was speechless as he tried to process the information.

"Now we have four Voltrons in one dimension. That really has fucked us up," said Lance. He started pacing again and continued, "So Keith knew about this. What's he plan to do? Take out a whole civilization all on his own?"

"I wouldn't put it pass the commander to do that," Hunk answered. "But what does Sigis have to do about any of this?"

"Sigis must have told Keith some of the things he was allowed to say letting Keith figure out the rest," Allura guessed. "No one but the core of the five civilizations knows about the secret of Voltron. As heir to the Royal House of Arus I was privy to the information, but for a time, I was not allowed to divulge any of it. An ancient magic stops me from saying anything to anyone."

"The light show from awhile ago," Pidge remarked. "That was the ancient magic that was blocking you from saying anything. How were you able to break it?"

Allura shook her head. She didn't know how she managed such a feat. All she knew was that she was glad that she succeeded.

"If ancient magic prevented you from saying anything to keep this from getting out," Hunk said as worry started to crawl from his face. "Having Keith with this knowledge would surely put him in harm's way."

A look of dread crept up to Allura's face at his statement.

"Pidge," Lance said, his face changed from worried friend to a soldier. "How long 'til we get back to Earth?"

"Voltron is already going at Hypermock 1," Pidge stated. "We never pressed him to go faster than that. We'll reach Earth's atmosphere in thirty two hours."

"Let's try to get him as close to Hypermock 2 without destroying the hull. Let's just hope that Sven can hold off whoever is inside Keith for that long."


	5. Chapter 5

**The Third Sphere Part I: Keith's Redemption**

Author's Notes: Personalities and character description will also be loosely based on the Voltron Force TV series (Keith's and Allura's eye color, Lance's physique, etc.) as well as some of their techs (e.g. Voltcoms and Lion upgrades). Back story of the Voltron Force were taken from Dynamite's comic Voltron: Year One.

Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron and its characters. I'm just a fan of the universe.

-oo-

 **Chapter 5**

Sven paced around Keith's quarters. It had been twenty four hours and still no sign of any changes from the commander.

Sven couldn't do anything but just watch as orbs of light surrounded his friend and electric current flowed through his body. He had indeed assumed that Alexander Sigis was fighting for control over Keith's body. Not knowing who will emerge from the other side once the mental battle is over, Sven quickly took action once the orbs and electric current disappeared. He tied Keith to a chair, took off his top leaving his upper body bare, and wrote runes on his body to suppress the magic within him. It would have looked comical having rune symbols on Keith's cheeks, forehead, neck, arms, legs and chest but the situation was serious, and was no laughing matter. As an added precaution, he also placed runes on the chair and on the floor surrounding it.

And now, all he could do was wait.

He had hoped that his message to the Voltron Force reached them and were on their way back from their mission. Browsing through mission files with Counselor Vonn's access codes, Sven knew that the extraction of the Royal Family of Ryal was a mission Keith himself put to his team, so that they would be far away from him as much as he can. Their mission wasn't hard, so he just hoped and prayed that they got his encrypted message and was on their way back. But if they weren't, he didn't know how long he could keep Keith contained if it was indeed Alexander Sigis who emerged victorious, even with all the runes decked up in his body and the furniture.

A couple of hours passed before Sven felt movement. He stopped pacing and took a seat in front of Keith's bound body as Keith stirred awake.

Sven watched as Keith looked about the room trying to get his bearings. He looked down and saw his body tied to a chair and he started struggling but was shocked that he couldn't break free.

"Good morning, Commander," Sven greeted with a Welsh accent. His voice even and his face emotionless, he looked at Keith and waited for his reaction.

"Counselor?"

Immediately Sven knew who won the fight. Keith, even half asleep or drugged, would know who he was. This man in front of him was not his friend.

"I guess I would be addressing Alexander Sigis from now on," remarked Sven as he leaned back, crossed his legs in front of him, and also crossed his arms over his chest. "What did you do with the commander, Sigis?"

Sven retained the Welsh accent, not offering any more clues to this presence as to who he really was or what he was doing there. It occurred to him that Sigis didn't know who he really was. He knew that Sigis was informed that he will be on board as Sven, but apparently Keith didn't share the information about him pretending to be Counselor Vonn Horner.

'So Keith held back that information from Sigis,' he thought. 'Keith must not have trusted him enough to let him know this information.'

Keith's face stared back at him looking confused.

"What are you talking about, Counselor?" It said with Keith's voice but the inflections were different. "Who is Alexander Sigis?"

"Are we really playing the 'stupid game'?" Sven rose and got close enough to be right in front of his captive. He bent down so that he can be eye level with Keith and added, "I ask you again, what have you done with the commander?"

"I'm right here, Counselor," Keith struggled from his bonds. "And why am I tied up?"

Sven could see that both of Keith's hands were closing and opening, as if trying to produce something from the air.

"Trying to see if you can use magic?" Sven asked, one eyebrow rose in question. "I highly doubt that you would be able to, seeing as I made sure you wouldn't be able to cast any type of magic while bound to that chair."

Sven stood straight once more and went back to his seat. He stared back at Sigis. Even though it unnerved him to see Keith staring back at him, he knew that his friend was not there at the moment. Keith blinked and the blue eyes were replaced by black orbs.

"Who are you?" It said.

"I thought you knew who I was?" He answered, tilting his head on the side. "I'm Counselor Vonn Horner."

"Are we really playing the 'stupid game'?" Keith's mouth gave a half smile as he made a mock imitation of his own statement a while ago.

Sigis/Keith looked down on his bindings and tried to break free from them again but it held.

"I'm surprised that you know what binding runes are and how to properly place them," He remarked clenching both his fists and relaxing them. "I know Keith never taught you that as he himself does not know how to do it."

"I have my sources."

"Indeed you do," he smiled, a sinister smile. Sigis/Keith relaxed in his seat and stared back at Sven. He tilted his head on the side and raised an eyebrow, "I'm curious to know why a Representative of the Galaxy Alliance wears a Space Explorer uniform. Planning to change careers, Counselor?"

"I have always been an open minded chap," he replied cooly.

Sigis/Keith just smirked at him. Silence followed as Sven started to pace once more, Sigis/Keith followed his movements from his seat. He could see that Sigis/Keith was thinking, trying to figure out who he really was. It won't be long before he figured out though. Keith only went to one person for help in locating the Third Sphere. It was just a short case of process of elimination. Sven have to be ready for anything.

"Why Keith?" Sven asked breaking the silence. "You could have possessed any one of the Voltron Force, even the Princess Allura. Why the commander? What makes him so special?"

He wasn't really expecting any reply from the man so he was a little surprised when Sigis/Keith spoke, "There was something about the commander that was different from the rest of the Voltron Force. He has a hidden power in him that even he himself didn't know about. For a human, his innate skill in magic is remarkable even in Arusian standards. No wonder our princess is so enamored of him. I myself was amazed by his ability. He's more powerful than Zarkon, and I have trained with Zarkon for decades. Zarkon has nothing on the commander when it comes to raw power and control. I believe that he would have defeated Zarkon all those months ago if he was properly trained during that time. The other members do not have that kind of power as Keith, so they were never an option. As for the princess, she cannot get involved with the Third Sphere. As a member of the Royal House of Arus, she cannot intervene, so she is useless to me."

"It sounds like you have something against the Royal House of Arus," Sven inquired, raising one eyebrow in question.

Sigis/Keith laughed but there was no humor to it, and didn't answer.

"Have you been so bored locked up in Voltron for so many years that when the chance of getting out was there, you took it?" Sven pushed. "What is it about this Third Sphere that's so important that you made Keith hide things from the people he calls family? How were you able to manipulate him into thinking that? What has Zarkon promised before his death that made you do this?"

Sigis/Keith kept silent. A smirk formed on his lips as if to tell him that no information will be spilt in them. But Sven was patient. He will get answers. He owed that to Keith. He already surmised that Sigis and Zarkon have a secret shared between them. They have been friends in the past. He just needed a bit more prodding.

Suddenly, there was a slight difference with Keith's face. Like there was a sudden realization had hit him. His dark eyes were suddenly bright and the smirk reformed on his face but this time it was a sign that he has found a weapon of sorts.

"Sven Holgersson," he said, slow and deliberate like casting a spell.

Sven kept silent and pretended to not be affected. He knew that it was only a matter of time before he was found out. But he wouldn't give Sigis the satisfaction of a win.

"I wouldn't have realized it," Sigis continued. "But you gave yourself away when you started asking about the Third Sphere. Only one other person was provided with that information and he was supposed to be dead."

"It took you long enough," Sven retorted. He crossed his arms across his chest and pretended to be undaunted by the revelation.

"It could have worked," he said. "Your accent is really good. And you look exactly like the counselor. But your concern for Commander Kogane gave you away."

"It was only a matter of time," Sven remarked. "I never really planned on prolonging the inevitable. So now that we have this all cleared out. Why not answer my questions? Why do this? What has Arus done to you that you would side with Zarkon?"

"Isn't it obvious, Commander?" Sigis answered. "They've trapped me in Voltron for decades! I cannot move on to the afterlife because of the magic they have put on me. I am part of Voltron! Until that machine cease to exist, I will continue to exist!"

Keith's face contorted with rage. The binds on his arms snapped with the force of his anger, and he threw himself at Sven. The magic binding runes were still in effect but Sigis didn't need magic. He was also an accomplished fighter. And with his knowledge added to Keith's athletic form, he was a force to be reckoned with.

Sven was caught off guard by Sigis' sudden attack. He fell, toppling the chair behind him. Arms raised in defense as Sigis' landed a series of blows on his face and chest. Most of them made contact while Sven successfully blocked the others.

Sigis continued his tirade, "I was a loyal member of the Knights of Arus! I have served my King for decades! And then I was assigned to Earth! Creating Voltron! Fighting using the magnificent machine to stop Doom from conquering this galaxy! I was due a warrior's death! But what have they done? They trapped me inside the machine for decades! Not trusting the five pilots that were assigned to Voltron when Zarkon left, they put a spell on me! Trapping me in that machine! Unless Voltron is obliterated, I cannot move on to the next life!"

Sven was able to block a punch and wrestled against Sigis. Twisting around, he was able to land on top of him and jabbed Sigis' chin before he kicked and extricated him against Sigis' hold. Sven stood and took a defensive stance.

"So your plan is to annihilate the whole dimension so that you can die?" Sven retorted. "That's sick! You're willing to kill innocent people for a chance at the afterlife?"

"I don't plan on annihilating the whole dimension," Sigis answered. "I am still planning to stop the Third Sphere from destroying you all. But once done, I can finally die. I only needed a body. This body. So that I can finally find peace."

Sven's eyes went wide from the revelation. Sigis was no longer connected to Voltron. But he was still a spirit that cannot move on. He needed a body. He was going to kill Keith!

Sigis launched himself at Sven once more. He threw a series of punches and jabs at Sven which Sven was able to block. Sven kneed Sigis and made contact with his stomach. Sigis doubled over but was quick to regain his balance. The two exchanged blows one after another, neither of them relenting.

As the two concentrated on each other, neither of them heard the door opening as the rest of the Voltron Force entered Keith's quarters that he shared with Allura.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Third Sphere Part I: Keith's Redemption**

Author's Notes: Personalities and character description will also be loosely based on the Voltron Force TV series (Keith's and Allura's eye color, Lance's physique, etc.) as well as some of their techs (e.g. Voltcoms and Lion upgrades). Back story of the Voltron Force were taken from Dynamite's comic Voltron: Year One.

Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron and its characters. I'm just a fan of the universe.

-oo-

 **Chapter 6**

The sight that welcomed Allura back in her quarters both disturbed and confused her. Keith was fighting with Counselor Vonn Horner in their living room with runes all over his face and body. The counselor in Space Explorer uniform fought back with the skills of a veteran soldier. Furniture was toppled over and the coffee table smashed. The four teammates stood at the entrance, stunned.

"Keith," Allura finally said, loud enough to pierce through his concentration. But the eyes that looked back at her were black, not the deep sea blue that she was so familiar with.

Allura took an involuntary stepped back hitting Lance in the process. Sven was right. Alexander Sigis has taken over Keith's body. The dark orbs that were looking back at her were filled with rage and hatred.

That split second pause was enough for the counselor to take the upper hand. He seized Keith and locked him in a choke hold.

"You need to sedate him!" the counselor exclaimed but the team was shocked to hear the familiar Norwegian accent of Sven coming out the counselor's mouth.

Pidge was the first to move, pushing some buttons on his Voltcom, he produced a syringe and plunged it onto Keith's neck. Keith struggled against Counselor Vonn's grip until the sedative took effect. After a couple of minutes, his body stopped struggling and went limp.

"About time you guys showed up," the counselor said, but everyone was still shocked to hear Sven's voice coming out from his mouth.

"Sven?" Lance inquired the look of disbelief shown on his face. "What the hell is going on?"

"We need to restrain him first before I start explaining," Sven/Vonn answered. "There's no telling what he'd do now that you guys are here."

Lance and Hunk lifted Keith and deposited him on the same chair he was bound in. They tied him up once more doubling the restraints. Sven reapplied the runes, as he realized that some of them already wore off from the fight. He once again did the same thing with the chair and floor.

"Binding runes," Allura observed. "Romelle taught you how to draw them?"

"Yes," he answered. "It's very useful when you're dealing with magic users. I can't use magic myself but at least I know how to protect myself if ever I was attacked. It came in handy when I was dealing with him."

He tipped his head sideways to Keith's location.

Once they were satisfied that Keith was secure, they retreated to the dining area where a long table was located. They sat down with Hunk and Lance near Keith in any case he tried to escape once the sedative wore off. Once they were settled, Sven began to explain everything that he knew.

Sven began his narration from the day Keith sought him out in Pollux. He explained how Keith sought him out for help in locating the Third Sphere. He narrated Keith's experience when Alexander Sigis entered his body and consciousness, that he was the only one among the Force who could sense his presence before it happened. Then, Keith read him in about the Voltrons that were commissioned by the Galaxy Alliance and what he knew about the Voltron that attacked and destroyed the moon, and that it was the reason why the Third Sphere have come to destroy them. Sven mentioned Sigis' role in training Keith in using magic and provided however much information that he can provide for their search for the Sphere to be easier. Finally, Sven explained how they had convinced Counselor Vonn to go into hiding while Sven pretended to be him so that they could utilize the counselor's resources in locating the Third Sphere while they kept the counselor and his family safe in a location known only to both of them.

"Keith had mentioned several times that Sigis was always nagging him about his attachment to the Princess," Sven said concluding his recount. "Before Sigis took over his body, Keith had mentioned he was dreaming about you, Allura. Sigis has some issues with the Royal House of Arus for trapping him in Voltron for decades, that his idea of revenge is killing the man who have captured the heart of their beloved monarch. I don't know what his real plans are in stopping the Third Sphere but I'm guessing it involves sacrificing Keith, with him piggy-backing a ride to the afterlife."

Allura looked from Sven to Keith's unconscious form on the chair where they tied him up. A look of worry etched over her face. She wanted to go over there and hold Keith in her arms. She couldn't believe how much Keith endured just to make sure she was safe.

"We can't let that happen," she said. "We need to get Alexander Sigis' consciousness out of Keith!"

"I'm still a little confused about the Third Sphere thing," Lance remarked, shaking his head. "But that could wait. Our first order of business is how are we going to separate Alexander Sigis' consciousness from Keith's body? Do I need to call a priest for an exorcism?"

Finally, Allura stood from her seat and approached the unconscious form of her beloved. Once she was near him, she tentatively reached out and touched his cheek, giving it a gentle caress.

"Hang in there, Keith," she said softly as she leaned down so that they can be face-to-face. "I'll get you out of Sigis' hold once and for all."

Keith stirred and started to become conscious. When he opened his eyes, Allura gasped as she stared at deep sea blue eyes that she knew so well.

"Allura?"

"Keith!"

"I – "

Before he could say anything further, sparks flew around him once more as another form of mental torture coursed through him. He groaned in pain, struggling from his restraints. Allura backed away while the rest of the team shot forward, forming a barrier between her and Keith. Pidge readied another dose of sedative, as Lance and Hunk were on each side of Keith flanking him in case he broke free of his restraints. Sven was beside Pidge, ready to defend him when the need arose.

They were not surprised when Keith opened his eyes once more and black orbs once again replaced blue ones.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Third Sphere Part I: Keith's Redemption**

Author's Notes: Personalities and character description will also be loosely based on the Voltron Force TV series (Keith's and Allura's eye color, Lance's physique, etc.) as well as some of their techs (e.g. Voltcoms and Lion upgrades). Back story of the Voltron Force were taken from Dynamite's comic Voltron: Year One.

Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron and its characters. I'm just a fan of the universe.

-oo-

 **Chapter 7**

Keith lost the battle for control a second time and was frustrated to find himself disconnected with his body once more. He struggled to remain conscious. He couldn't afford to let Sigis win. It was his body after all. There was no way someone else's consciousness should retain control. He had to take it back one way or another.

When they had sedated him, Sigis momentarily lost control of his body. For a few precious moments, he was free from his bindings and fought Sigis again. Keith had gained the upper hand for a time and was able to subdue Sigis. But when he reconnected with his body, the sedative and the binding runes took effect on him making him sluggish in movement and a bit disoriented. Those few precious seconds of consciousness though brought him face-to-face with his beloved. And it nearly killed him when Sigis found a way to escape his bindings and took control once more.

Although his heart soared when he saw Allura, he had hoped that they didn't get back quickly from their mission. He had hoped the extraction would keep them off planet long enough for him and Sven to finish this mission. He should have known better than to underestimate his teammates. They were not known to be the best of the best Space Explorers if they took a long time to do a simple extraction mission.

Those few precious seconds of seeing her, it was enough to give him strength. But the look of worry in Allura's eyes when he was conscious felt like being stabbed in the gut. He hated that look on her. He hated it when she worried. He hated himself even more that the look of worry was for him and it killed him that it was in her eyes.

Keith groaned as he tried to get himself in a sitting position but he found he was unable to do so. Apparently, the runes didn't work from within him. Even in his weakened state, Sigis' magical binds held. He was lying on his side staring at Sigis who was in front of him. The magical sphere that had momentarily shattered surrounded them once more, but this time Alexander Sigis stood there visibly exhausted and cracks could be seen around the sphere. The battle for control over his body added to the exertion he made before while fighting off Sven took much of Sigis' power. Keith knew that this was his only chance to gather enough strength and power to free him from captivity, and defeat Sigis.

Keith concentrated, trying to tap into his body so that he could get a feel on what's happening to the outside world. Trying to remember all the training that Sigis had taught him, Keith tapped into his powers, weak as they are, and tried to make a connection.

At first nothing happened, but little by little a cloud cleared and what he was seeing was like looking through fogged up glasses. Even though it was his body, it felt like looking through the eyes of an observer. He saw his whole team surrounding him, caution clearly perceived on their faces. They were talking with Sigis with Sven taking lead on the interrogation. He kept his concentration, using everything he knew to tap into the magic he possessed. He struggled with his bindings as he kept his focus. Within the silence of his mind, sounds began to seep in. The voices were indistinguishable at first but they gradually became clearer.

He heard himself laugh but the sound was different. It was cold and angry. He saw Sven took a defensive stance, as was the rest of the team. It was pretty obvious from his point of view on who it was they were defending him against. Allura was behind them, peeking over Sven's broad shoulder but blocked from full view from his body. Keith felt an ache in his heart. He wanted so much to touch her, to feel her body on his, to hold her close to him and apologize for what he had put her through.

He heard himself laugh again. He felt the binds tighten. He knew then that Sigis was aware of him.

"Your commander is putting up a fight," Sigis said through his voice. "I do admire his tenacity. He has lasted far longer than I have anticipated."

"You can't win this, Sigis," Sven said. "Just let the commander go. We'll find another way to bring your soul peace."

"I think not, Commander Holgersson," Sigis answered. "I think I'll keep this body for a bit longer."

"Release him, Alexander," Allura said as she stirred herself in front of Sven. "Release him now or –"

"Or what?" Sigis challenged. "Would you really be able to do anything with me while I'm in this body?"

When they didn't answer, he smirked and added, "I thought so."

Keith could see the look of helplessness in Allura's eyes. He struggled against his bindings but it just wound around him tighter. He heard Sigis laugh.

"How the mighty has fallen," Sigis stated. "Who would have predicted this? The only way to defeat the Voltron Force is by taking out the head. I will enjoy torturing Keith Kogane slowly and painfully until he himself begs for death!"

"You son-of-a –"

Keith saw Sven and Hunk grabbed at Lance who was about to hit him. Lance struggled against their hold on him while Keith heard himself laugh.

"Give me one shot!" Lance exclaimed. "Just one shot to get that smug look off his face!"

"Lance," Sven replied. "You hurt him. You hurt Keith in the process."

"Which begs the question," inquired Pidge. "How will you be able to torture Keith if you can't hurt him?"

Keith knew the answer to that even though Sigis kept his silence. Inside his mind, he looked up at the being in front of him and begged, although his voice was but a whisper, "please, Sigis. Not her. Please, not her."

But Sigis just laughed, both from within his consciousness and outside using Keith's voice as a conduit.

"Your commander has figured it out," he said. "The best type of torture has always been the mental and emotional ones. When I'm through, there'll be nothing left of your commander to save. But then again, you will not be here to see it."

At that statement Keith snapped. It was already too much that Sigis has threatened Allura, but to make threats against his friends drew the line for him. He let out a blood curdling scream and strained to break from the bindings.

The noise caused Sigis to lose concentration and the magical binds faltered giving Keith that moment to break free. The binds snapped and he charged at Sigis, slamming all his weight on him. They toppled over, with Keith landing on top of Sigis. He landed a couple of blows on Sigis while the latter attempted to block his punches. Sigis blocked a punch and retaliated with a punch of his own that sent Keith sprawling. Once free, Sigis let out a low powered energy ball and aimed it at Keith. At the last second, Keith dodged and rolled into a kneeling position and fired an energy ball of his own. This time Sigis was not able to dodge quickly and the ball hit his shoulder. He staggered back a step and was hit by another bolt of energy on the chest. Keith kept his barrage of low powered energy bolts at Sigis, hitting him one after another. Sigis retreated every time an energy bolt hit him while Keith advanced, inching his way closer and closer. When Keith was close enough, he conjured a sword similar to the blazing sword his Voltcom provides him during fights, and swung. But Sigis was quick to conjure a sword of his own and parried.

The fight continued, with Keith more determined than ever to finally defeat his mentor. Sigis was skilled that much was obvious, but controlling his body and fighting Sven a while back really took a toll on him. Keith was getting the upper hand of the battle.

Keith took a swing which Sigis blocked, but the power of the swing knocked the latter. Sigis stumbled; his sword disappeared from his hand in the process.

"I think it's about time you get out of my body, Alec," Keith remarked as he slowly approached the consciousness.

For an answer, Sigis conjured another energy ball and threw it at Keith. But before it reached its target, the ball exploded and fizzled out.

"You heard him, Alexander," said an all too familiar voice. "Get out."

Keith's head turned to where the voice came from and had locked eyes with a vision in blue. Allura stood not far from him, her arms raised forward to Sigis' direction, hands still smoking from the magic that saved him.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Third Sphere Part I: Keith's Redemption**

Author's Notes: Apologies for not posting last week. I had babysitting duties, so I wasn't able to write. Thank you very much for all the reviews and following the story. It's really warms the heart to read your comments. ^_^

Personalities and character description will also be loosely based on the Voltron Force TV series (Keith's and Allura's eye color, Lance's physique, etc.) as well as some of their techs (e.g. Voltcoms and Lion upgrades). Back story of the Voltron Force were taken from Dynamite's comic Voltron: Year One.

Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron and its characters. I'm just a fan of the universe.

-oo-

The rest of the Voltron Force stood around two bodies that sat opposite each other…

 _When Keith's body suddenly went slack, Allura rushed forward. Amidst energy surges and balls of electricity surrounding Keith, Allura reached out and held his face._

" _I need to get in there!" she exclaimed, seemingly not affected by what's been happening around Keith._

" _Woah! Hold up, Princess!" Lance exclaimed as he reached out to her. "You said so yourself that Keith wouldn't last with two consciousness residing in his body. You getting in there might do him in!"_

" _I would have to agree, Allura," Sven added. "One alien consciousness is already taking its toll on Keith, adding you to the mix might have a serious long term effect on him."_

" _I won't be directly inside his consciousness," she reasoned. "I would still be in my own body. I would just be in the fringes of his mind but enough to be able to find Sigis and flush him out."_

" _I can't allow you to get in there, Princess," Lance said._

" _Is that a direct order,_ Commander _?" Allura remarked defiantly as she stood in front of Keith. "I am willing to face a court martial if that's the case."_

 _Lance and Sven exchanged looks. A silent communication started between the two. Lance looked at Sven for help. Even after all these years, he still looked up to his former commander. His advice and guidance were something Lance took to heart._

 _Sven looked at the determined face of Allura. He knew that she would do whatever it took for her to get her way. A woman would do anything for the man she loves. He remembered another woman who stood her ground and was shot before his eyes. He closed his eyes to shut out that memory. It wouldn't do any good with the current situation if he started remembering Romelle. He sighed loudly as he rubbed a hand to his temples._

" _You said you can get inside his consciousness without you leaving your body?" Sven asked._

" _Yes," she answered. "I can enter his consciousness without me leaving my body. I will only be able to be in the fringes of his mind but I know I'll be able to find them."_

" _Sven?"_

 _Sven looked back at Lance and gave a slight nod. Lance sighed but shook his head and asked, "are you sure about this? One wrong move and we'll lose Keith forever."_

" _It's riskier to let Sigis stay in Keith's body," Sven answered. "If Princess Allura has a chance, however minutely to find them inside Keith's consciousness, I think it's worth it."_

 _He then turned to Princess Allura who was still standing by Keith._

" _If anything happens to Keith," he said. "I will be holding you responsible, Allura."_

 _Allura's gaze didn't falter as she stared back at Sven. She was determined to get Keith back as much as anyone. She will not fail in this mission._

" _The only thing that will happen to Keith is his freedom from Alexander," answered Allura. "I promise you that."_

 _Sven just nodded and Hunk brought a chair and situated it on front of Keith. Allura sat and she came face to face with her beloved once more. Electric current and orbs of light still surrounded the commander. Pain was shown on Keith's face and Allura ached for him. She should have known that something was bothering him the moment they returned with Voltron. The distance between them was apparent even to the whole team, but she only thought it was the anxiety that Keith was feeling when Lotor came to the Galaxy Alliance with talk of peace. She should have known that there was something deeper there._

" _Come back to me, my love," Allura whispered. "Please come back to me."_

 _With that, she closed her eyes and concentrated. She tapped into her magic and let her consciousness drift towards Keith..._

"How long has it been?" Hunk asked as he sat on the couch that was within striking distance from his two teammates.

"One hour, ten minutes and twenty-six seconds and counting," Pidge answered beside him. He has a console on his lap, tapping some keys to monitor his two teammates. So far, he hasn't found anything wrong with them. "And it has been fifteen minutes and thirty seven seconds since you've last asked me."

Lance and Sven paced around the room. Both were looking back every so often at Keith and Allura who have been immobile for some time.

"Are you sure we did the right thing?" Lance asked Sven as he the look of worry didn't leave his face.

"As much as we didn't have a choice in the matter, Lance," Sven answered. "We should trust Allura. She has more at stake at this than any of us."

"They've been in there for an hour," stated Lance. He approached his two teammates, careful not to touch them, and just observe. "We let her in there without any kind of back-up."

"Keith fought Sigis for a whole day," Sven explained. "It has only been an hour. Besides, what could we have done to help them? We can't use magic. We'll be more of a liability to the both of them than help."

"I just don't like the idea of standing by and doing nothing," Lance retorted as he walked towards the sofa where Hunk and Pidge were sitting. He sat down, crossed his arms, and gave a heavy sigh of resignation.

Sven gave a soft chuckle and replied, "You were always the hot-head, Lance."

"That's why Keith bypassed you for Commander," added Hunk with a short laugh.

"Don't remind me of the dark days," Lance remarked with a smirk.

"Keith has been the better choice of Commander," Pidge added. "You have to admit that."

"Hey," Lance exclaimed. "I'm right here! Let's keep the insults to a minimum, shall we?"

As the rest of the members settled down with throwing light insults at each other, the atmosphere surrounding Keith started to change. The air fizzled and the distortions slowly took shape. As the distortion formed, the rest of the Voltron Force gathered around their two team mates, creating a protective arc around them. Finally, the shape finally took the form of a humanoid male and Alexander Sigis stood before them. The Arusian was translucent, but even in spirit form he was every inch a Knight of Arus. Sigis stood before them, but the formidable Knight, even in spirit form, looked defeated.

"Sigis."

"Commander Holgersson," replied Sigis. "Commander Mc Clain."

"I like the sound of that," remarked Lance. "Commander Mc Clain. It really has a nice ring to it."

"You can keep the position," said a rough voice behind him. "But I will be taking my command back."


	9. Chapter 9

**The Third Sphere Part I: Keith's Redemption**

Author's Notes: Apologies for the hiatus. This thing called life and responsibilities got in the way of writing. And then there was a problem with my muse for giving me another story to write and not this one…the list goes on and on. Thank you very much for all the reviews and following the story. It's really warms the heart to read your comments. And despite the fact that I have been gone for almost a year, you're still waiting for me to finish. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for your patience. ^_^

Personalities and character description will also be loosely based on the Voltron Force TV series (Keith's and Allura's eye color, Lance's physique, etc.) as well as some of their techs (e.g. Voltcoms and Lion upgrades). Back story of the Voltron Force were taken from Dynamite's comic Voltron: Year One.

Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron and its characters. I'm just a fan of the universe.

-oo-

 **Chapter 9**

"Keith!"

Hunk and Pidge rushed over to the pair who just regained consciousness. Hunk hunched over as he released Keith from the bindings that they've placed on him. Pidge hovered over Allura, checking her vitals. Sven and Lance though kept their attention to Sigis. The consciousness just stood there, unaffected by what was happening around him.

Allura was the first to approach the consciousness. To everyone's surprise, Sigis bowed down in respect to the monarch.

"Your highness."

"Alexander," Allura replied, after acknowledging his action. "You have done a great disservice to your station as a Mystic Knight of Arus. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty," he answered. "I have served my king and the Royal House for decades. I only want what is owed to me, eternal rest from this world."

"But prior to your death," Allura remarked. "You have already agreed to become part of Voltron upon your passing. It was a request from your king that you have accepted whole-heartedly. We owe you nothing."

"I deserve to join the afterlife for the loyal service that I've done for the Royal House of Arus," he repeated in anger. "I had done it willingly and accepted the role given to me with honor. I deserve more than what you have made me become."

"You have forfeited that right when you let Zarkon free you from Voltron," she answered, her voice was even and in control.

"I did no such thing!" Sigis exclaimed.

"What did Zarkon promise you when he released you from Voltron?" Keith asked as he stood beside Allura, and leaned on Hunk for support.

But Sigis remained silent. His eyes never left Allura's and it was apparent that the anger was still there.

"You will answer the question, sir knight," Allura commanded. Her voice was full of power and authority that Sigis cringed at the command.

After a few moments he answered solemnly, "I can only tell you what you already know. Zarkon promised me eternal rest. He freed me from Voltron, but he wasn't able to free me from the magic that bound me to this world. My freedom from the magical binds would only happen if I allowed him to become Voltron's consciousness."

"Voltron's consciousness?" Lance echoed in disbelief. "He wanted to be a part of Voltron?"

"It makes sense if you think about it," Sven remarked. "When he was human, Zarkon put everything in the creation and becoming Voltron's sole pilot. That was his whole life. To Zarkon's mind, Voltron was his. He just wanted what was his to begin with. The whole reason he was fighting alongside Doom was because he wanted Voltron."

"That is a discussion for another time, gentlemen," Allura said as she raised her arm to halt the discussion.

She then turned back to Sigis who was still standing between Sven and Lance. His gaze never left Allura, and though his voice was solemn and subdued, Sigis' eyes were full of contempt. Allura held his gaze, never backing down from this battle of wills.

"I would have to agree with the princess," Pidge said as he took a sideway glance at Sigis. "What I want to know is what are we going to do with him?"

Keith looked at Allura and whispered, "whatever he did to me was more because he was desperate. We shouldn't forget that he did provide us with valuable information concerning the Third Sphere."

"He almost killed you, Keith," Allura whispered back.

"Almost," he replied with a smile. "He didn't succeed, Lura."

"I can't set him free, Keith."

"Can't? Or Won't?"

Allura bit her lower lip to refrain from answering. She couldn't look at Keith. She turned suddenly and headed straight to their sleeping quarters. Keith took a deep breath, let it out slowly and followed behind.

When the door clicked silently behind them, Allura turned to face Keith.

"Lura, please – "

"Don't start, Keith," Allura cut him off. "You cannot expect me to release him from his duties especially after what he did to you."

Keith knew all too well that there was no convincing Allura when her mind was set. He did the only thing he knew that would give him a sliver of hope.

Keith reached out, held her face and lowered his face to hers. Their lips touched but Allura at first denied him access. Keith persisted until she eventually relented. She opened herself to him, giving him full access to her. Their tongues danced as Allura's arms slowly reached out around his neck and pulled him closer. Keith released her face and his arms trailed down her body, wrapping her waist in a tight embrace.

He missed this. He missed her. In all this planning and plotting with Sigis, he craved for this time alone with her. Sigis gave him little to no time for the simple things in their relationship.

"I missed you," Keith stated in between kisses. He heard Allura sigh as he captured her lips once more for another intense kiss.

Eventually, he felt her pull away but she didn't break their embrace.

"Keith," she started.

"I'm not saying that you immediately release him from his duties," Keith cut her off. "All I'm saying is that despite the fact that he tried to kill me, he was on a mission to help destroy the Third Sphere. He is owed a warrior's death after the decades of service he had done for the Royal House."

Allura sighed and reached out to touch his face. She caressed his cheeks and replied, "I almost lost you, Keith."

"But you didn't," he answered. "I'm still here, hoping that we're still together after what I've put you through. Everything I've done, all I could think about was you. I did this to protect you, as stupid as that may sound now. Everything that I've done was for you. I couldn't lose you, not with the threat of the Third Sphere hanging on us like this."

Allura sighed and closed her eyes. Her hand was still caressing his cheek, memorizing the texture, feeling the softness and remembering those moments when those cheeks where touching hers.

"This is a huge ask, Keith," she remarked.

"I know," Keith replied. "The decision is still yours, Lura, but I just want you to see this in a different perspective. He did help us make headway in locating the Third Sphere. He was able to train me to use magic. He made me ready for those attacks on me here at Headquarters. Despite the fact that he wanted to kill me, he was just desperate for death. He wanted his soul to rest. He deserves it after all the decades he was inside Voltron, assisting us when we needed it."

"Fine," Allura said. "I'll consider it. Anything else, Commander?"

Keith smiled and answered, "Yes, it has something to do with Hunk."

"What about Hunk?"


	10. Chapter 10

**The Third Sphere Part I: Keith's Redemption**

Author's Notes: Final Chapter Finally up! Thank you for sticking around this long and being patient with me. Part 2 is in the works but I will be taking some time before posting any updates. So, hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron and its characters. I'm just a fan of the universe.

-oo-

 **Chapter 10**

Outside, the rest of the Voltron Force were waiting for the decision of their commander and the ruler of Planet Arus.

"Do you think they're getting it on in there?"

"Lance!"

"What?" Lance replied. "They've been in there for an hour already. An hour of just talking is really boring."

"And you've been wondering why I've bypassed you for commander before?" Sven remarked with a smirk.

"You're right, Sven," Lance replied with a smile. "Keith does boring very well."

Before their conversation could go any further, Keith and Allura emerged from their sleeping quarters, with their hands intertwined with each other. The team already knew that whatever problems the couple faced prior to this was resolved. They saw the two of them as a solid entity once more.

Keith had now freshly showered and changed into another Voltron uniform, all the rune markings completely erased from his body. He and Allura headed straight towards Alexander Sigis who was standing in between Sven and Lance. Sigis' eyes were focused on Allura, still filled with contempt but there was also resignation in his gaze.

"Alexander," Allura started when both she and Keith stood before the former knight.

"Your Highness," he answered with another bow of respect.

"As the only living heir to the Royal House of Arus," she stated. "I will decide your fate.

"I have every right to condemn you to eternal damnation by not granting you eternal rest for what you have almost done to Commander Kogane. And despite what you have done to him, Keith defended your actions, stating that you have done more than enough for your request for rest to be granted."

Allura moved closer to Sigis until they were only a foot apart. She looked at Sigis' eyes and did not waver as he stared back at her.

"You are so damn lucky that the person defending you is the man I love," she continued. "I will grant your freedom when the threat to the Third Sphere is over. But until then, you will return to Voltron as the sixth pilot. That is the only punishment that I will give you for your treachery."

Sigis lowered his gaze. He was silent for a moment and then he replied, "how will I know that you will honor your word?"

"You will have to trust my words, sir knight," Allura stated. "Believe it or not, I have never broken my word to anyone. Not even with Zarkon when he was alive."

"I will hold you to that, Your Highness," Sigis remarked and bowed once more.

Allura gave a nod of acknowledgement and added, "we'll hold the ritual of returning you back to Voltron later."

Sigis bowed once more and stood still. Lance and Sven followed Allura and Keith towards the dining area with Hunk and Pidge bringing up the rear.

Once everyone had settled in their seats, they started discussing plans on how to stop the Third Sphere. Suggestions were being passed back and forth, Sigis was making suggestions every so often that the team considered.

"I can't believe we're actually going to do this," Hunk stated after they have finished laying out the ground works on their plan to stop the Third Sphere.

Keith and Allura exchanged looks. Allura gave Keith a quick nod before his gaze returned to the big guy.

"You're not joining us, Hunk," Keith stated.

Lance, Pidge and Hunk gave out audible gasps as the former two looked at the latter with shock and then moved their gaze towards their commander.

"What do you mean, I'm not joining you?" Hunk inquired, slowly standing up to his full height. "Who's going to pilot Yellow if I won't be there?"

"If Sven would be willing," Keith remarked. "He'll pilot Yellow in your stead. But if Yellow won't like a change in pilots, Voltron was still able to function with only four pilots at the helm. You guys have proven that during your mission to Ryal."

"Why isn't Hunk joining us for this?" Pidge inquired, looking back and forth from Hunk to Keith.

"Hunk resigned as a Space Explorer effective after his last mission," Keith answered in a low voice.

"I'm taking that resignation back, Commander," Hunk remarked.

Keith shook his head and said, "you also mentioned that your resignation is non-retractable. Besides, this mission is pretty dangerous and you have a baby to think about. I can't risk your life for this, Hunk. Think of Justine and your baby."

"I can't abandon you guys," Hunk said as he slammed his fist on the table. "Justine will understand. She's also a Space Explorer. She knows the risks involved. You guys need me for this. We're a team."

"You'd still be able to help us, Hunk," Allura stated. "But not as a pilot. Voltron is still the possession of Arus and all the major maintenance and upgrades are done on Arus. You know the ins and outs of Voltron and all of the lions. We still need your expertise for that."

Hunk kept silent but narrowed his brows in question.

Allura continued, "you'll still be a part of the team Hunk, but out of the firefight. If you choose to accept this, we would like to offer that you head Voltron's maintenance on Arus. And if Justine would also be willing, to head security on the planet as well."

"Hunk," Keith added. "At this point in your life, you would need to see the bigger picture. I can't let you go on this mission especially when you've decided to leave this life. It's not fair for you or Justine if we let you join us. But you can still help us out by making sure that Voltron is in top form when we face the threat of the Third Sphere."

Hunk remained silent, trying to let the news sink in. When he found out the real reason why Keith was acting like he did, all thoughts of his resignation was completely forgotten. He realized that their commander was doing what he did best, to protect his team the best way he knew how. He couldn't possibly leave the team now that they know the reason for the secrecy. But Keith and Allura were right as well. He and Justine will become parents and they would need to get out of the fire fight if they would have a standing chance of raising their child. Both of them decided to leave the SE for the future of their baby.

Arus. Would Justine be fine with moving to Arus? When they've decided to leave being a Space Explorer, they never really have any plan in mind. Would she be open to the idea? He hoped she would because being a part of the Voltron Force, even with just taking care of the Lions would be great. He would still be with Yellow, even if he would be piloted by someone else. The thought of leaving Yellow completely bothered Hunk when Keith mentioned it. So if there was a sliver of a chance that he would still be able to take care of the Yellow Lion, he would gladly take it. But would Justine be all for it as well?

"I want to consider your offer, Commander," Hunk finally said as all eyes were on him for his decision. "But it wouldn't be my decision alone anymore. Like you said, I have a family to think about now. I would have to consider Justine's input on this as well."

"No pressure, Hunk," Allura answered with Keith nodding and affirmative. "The offer stands until you and Justine make the decision."

"In the meantime," Hunk remarked. "I could still run intel from down here. I've been sitting in with Pidge for some time now. I'll be able to help out even if I won't be flying with your guys in the lions."

Keith nodded once more then shifted his gaze on Sven.

"So," he asked his former commander. "Would it be okay with you to fly Yellow?"

"This is bigger than any one of us," Sven answered. "If Yellow is willing to take another pilot aside from Hunk, I'll gladly take his place."

Keith nodded and smiled. Allura held his hand and gave it a tight squeeze. He returned it in kind.

"Well then," Keith said as he stood up. "We have our assignments. We'll start this new mission in three days time."

"A mission," Lance remarked. "Where we will either be called heroes or traitors."

"Can't be helped," Pidge added. "Destroying the two Voltrons in Garrison wouldn't really give us good standing in the SE."

"But it's something that we need to do to save this dimension," Keith replied. "And we weren't called the Defender of the Universe for nothing."


End file.
